Dreaming of a Potager Garden

My father had what we called a "la huerta",  which means "vegetable garden" in Spanish, that he lovingly tended to with the help of the extended family and neighbors. We grew practically everything we needed for our small household's needs in that small plot of land. Whatever we lacked, our neighbours were more than happy to fill with what they had in their own gardens. It was pretty common for us kids to be asked to knock on someone's door to request a missing ingredient at the last minute, and to be told to go get it from the garden ourselves. What fun we had climbing trees or on the fence to pick tropical fruits, and digging out sweet potatoes and peanuts.

Sadly, I no longer have the space nor time to have a la huerta and have to content myself with growing herbs on the kitchen windowsill. But I dream of having a real potager garden again someday...fortunately I live close to the next best thing, a fresh market that sells produce from small, commercial growers in the region. There are also several farmers' markets during weekends so we're really spoilt for choice for the freshest, local, and seasonal produce.

Today I was leafing through Donna Hay's Simple Dinners cookbook for inspiration and stumbled on a recipe for Roasted Chicken with Pancetta and Lentils. When I got to the fresh market, there were no leeks!! I walked the length of the vegetable shelves thrice and nope, no leeks in sight. Having set my heart on a chicken and pancetta dish, I was not going to be thwarted so easily. So I picked up these two ingredients anyway and set about creating these dishes... After I remembered that I had a box of new potatoes hidden away in the pantry from last week that I bought from the market, just because I liked the look of them :)

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

200 g (approx) thinly sliced pancetta (I used smoked pancetta for more flavour)

handful of basil leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

olive oil

1 kg new potatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Wash the potatoes and slice lengthwise into halves, or quarters depending on size. 
3. Put lightly salted water in a pot enough to cover the potatoes, and bring to a rolling boil over medium to high heat. Add the potatoes, cover and boil for 4-5 minutes. 
4. Strain the water out using a colander and leave the potatoes to steam until all the water has evaporated.
5. Wash then dry the chicken thighs well with paper towels. 
6. Carefully slide your fingertips between the meat and skin of each chicken piece to loosen the skin from the meat. Season between the two layers with salt and pepper, and also season the outer part of the chicken. Insert a layer of around 5 basil leaves between the two layers, taking care to make sure that the basil layer is fully covered by the chicken skin so the basil doesn't get burned. 
7. Wrap each chicken thigh with 2-4 slices of pancetta, depending on size.
8. Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat. Pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan to around 1 cm deep.
9. Fry the chicken with the skin side down first, for 3-5 minutes per side or until brown. You might need to do this in batches. Turn of the heat.
10. Place the chicken in a roasting dish and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads at least 83 degrees Celsius.
11. Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest while cooking the potatoes.
12. Tip some of the oil out of the skillet, leaving enough oil to saute the potatoes. Reheat the oil in medium to high heat.
13. Add the potatoes, with the cut side down first, and fry until brown on both sides turning occasionally. Again, you might need to do this in batches depending on the size of the skillet. 
14. When the last batch of potatoes are done, return the rest of the potatoes to the skillet. 
15. Add garlic to the skillet and quickly stir-fry with the potatoes to keep it from burning.
16. Turn off the heat, add the chopped parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
17. Serve immediately with the chicken and a simple green salad.

Summer!!

Summer is the easiest season to be well: plenty of sunlight, an abundance of mineral-packed fruits and vegetables, longer daylight hours mean more time to spend outdoors to exercise. I thought I'd offer a few tips on how to take advantage of this season to maximise its benefits to your wellbeing.

It's the season to indulge in meandering nature walks. Even a short, 20 minute walk in an inner city park will free your mind of clutter. Walk slowly and mindfully, paying close attention to what you see, feel and hear at every step. My favourite walk is uphill to the Botanic Gardens, where I sit on a bench for a few minutes to admire this beautiful sculpture by Henry Moore.

Image by Amy Schulz Photography

Meals are lighter, with more raw ingredients, and  full of colour: berries, herbs, salad leaves, beans, melons, tomatoes, peppers, corn, courgettes, apricots! We are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to summer produce. Drink raw juices first thing in the morning or even throughout the day. A couple of recipes I love are the Green Smoothie of Life and the Energy Booster Juice....or one I'd drink all day, Watermelon and Cucumber Juice. Yum!

Of course, summer go-to dishes are salads but summer soups are just as good. I'm inspired to create new soup dishes after seeing this Instagram post by Marc Weir, chef owner of Floriditas and Loretta's in Wellington, so watch this space. Meanwhile, to get you started check out BBC Good Food's Summer Soups Recipe Collection.

This is the time when our skin is most exposed to the elements, so skincare routines and rituals also need to be adjusted for the warmer summer months. Avoiding the sun when it's strongest, from 10 - 4 pm, is a must. Use higher SPFs, mineral-based sunscreens and slather it on generously at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun. It took a while for me to find a site that gives easy to follow tips without selling skincare products, good thing I finally found Dr. Frank Lipman's Summer Skincare Guide.

Finally, take time out to relax and enjoy the many activities of the season. Sit on the beach and read a book, go to outdoor concerts, swim on the sea or outdoor pools, take long bike rides, and shop for fresh, artisan food from farmer's markets.

Chicken Cacciatore

I have seen so many versions of this chicken dish, some with a long list of ingredients that I don't even bother reading the recipe. "Cacciatore" means "hunter" and I don't think the hunter's wife would have all of these at hand. And even if she has, she wouldn't waste precious time preparing them when the family's hungry. For me, the beauty of this dish lies in its rustic simplicity.

I always use a whole chicken to make this dish, but if you don't like having to cut it up, you can use pre-cut chicken pieces that roughly add up to around 2 kg. Please remember that the amount of herbs and seasonings is just a guideline...you can reduce or increase the amount to taste. Dried herbs will work just fine, too.

Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1 whole free range chicken, jointed
3 tablespoons Spanish or Italian olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
400 g can chopped Italian tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
4 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup black or green olives
1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
Himalayan or sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and sprinkle lightly with flour.
2. Heat a large pan (I use a heavy saute pan) over medium to high heat. Add the olive oil.
3. When the oil is hot, fry the chicken pieces until just brown and transfer to a plate. Do not overcrowd the pan so you may need to do this in batches. 
4. Lower heat to medium and saute the garlic until golden brown. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!!! Add the onion and stir fry until soft and caramelized.
5. Add the wine and simmer until it's reduced by around half. Add the tomatoes, water or broth, balsamic vinegar, parsley, bay leaves, oregano, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer.
6. Put the chicken back into the pan and coat with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Check the chicken halfway through and add more water if it gets too dry.
7. Add the olives, adjust the seasoning and simmer for around 10 more minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.
8. Transfer the chicken into a serving platter and spoon the sauce over it. Sprinkle with chopped basil leaves just before serving.

You can serve this with a salad, and/or a crusty bread, rice, couscous, cannellini beans, or soft polenta...and, of course, a few glasses of Sangiovese or Chianti.

Basil: A Powerful Healing Herb

This story starts with a basil plant I found on my desk at work, on a Thursday morning. Its strong, sweet aroma and flavor has made this herb a culinary favorite worldwide. It's also a powerful healing herb used in traditional remedies to treat many ailments such as headaches, stomach spasms, arthritis, respiratory and ear infections, stings and bites.

Basil contains exceptionally high levels of essential nutrients: Vitamin A, and is a good source of Vitamin K, Iron, and minerals. This particular one I found on my desk is sweet or Mediterranean basil, and suggestions from fellow foodies on what to do with it were endless: pizzas, pasta, curries, pestos....but I thought it would be great to create some new dishes around it. Inspired by summer: light, fresh, and simple!

The first dish I created was a spaghetti dish. I use fresh pasta whenever I can. Somehow, it absorbs the flavors more easily and only requires the simplest of treatments. No need to smother with cheesy and meaty sauces.

Basil, Parsley and Courgette Pasta

Ingredients:
200 g spaghetti
4 tbsp olive oil (or more to taste)
3 cloves garlic (or more to taste), chopped
2 courgettes, grated
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp basil, chopped
1/2 tsp chili flakes
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan, grated to taste


1. Cook the spaghetti in salted water according to directions in the packet
2. Heat olive oil in medium heat, add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes
3. Add the courgettes, parsley, basil, chili flakes, and lemon zest and saute for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Drain the spaghetti, leaving a little amount of water and toss with the sauce
5. Divide into serving bowls and top with grated parmesan and more basil leaves.

Serves 2.

French Lentil Soup

One of my favourite blogs is Zalin Grant's  Tales from a French Village.  I try and read one letter a week, relishing every single word as you would a very special treat. This particular letter ends with a very simple salted pork - a petit salé - with lentils recipe.

Now I really love lentil soup and don't like the idea of letting all that delicious broth go to waste. So I decided to make my own version of French Lentil Soup based on this recipe. A perfectly warming winter soup!

Ingredients:
450 g pancetta, sliced into 2-inch pieces
6 cups water
1 bouquet garni (mine had  4 sprigs of parsley,  2 bay leaves, 5 stalks of thyme)
2 large white onions, peeled
10 cloves - push 5 cloves into each onion
3 carrots, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups French lentils
Handful of baby silverbeet or spinach leaves

Method:
1. Place the pancetta, bouquet garni,  carrots, onions, salt and pepper in a pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil then simmer for an hour. Add more water if it gets too dry.
2. Add the lentils and cook over medium heat for another 20-25 minutes. Check to make sure the lentils don't get overcooked.
3. Add the baby silverbeet or spinach leaves.  Stir to cover the leaves with the broth, then cover the pot. Turn the heat off and serve after a couple of minutes.

This can be made the day before or at least a few hours ahead up to step 2; then reheat and add the leaves. Bon appetit!

Yellow Chicken Curry

The cold winds from Antartica are howling outside and we even had hailstorm today. I think it's the perfect day for a warming chicken curry :) But I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to make a Vietnamese-style or a Filipino-style chicken curry. So why not create a new recipe that uses the best of both styles?

Ingredients

rice bran oil, for frying
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
4 shallots, sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 bay leaves
375 ml chicken broth or water
500 ml coconut cream
2 tablespoons nuoc mam (fish sauce)
1 stalk lemongrass, tied into knot
2 carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 red, or 1 red and 1 green, capsicums, sliced
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Heat around 1/2 inch of the rice bran oil in a pot over medium to high heat.
2. Add the potatoes, brown on all sides and transfer to a platter.
3. Brown the chicken on all sides and transfer to a platter. Remove some of the oil, leaving around 3 tablespoons in the pot.
4. Add the onions and garlic, stir-fry until lightly browned.
5. Add the curry powder and bay leaves, stir-fry for one minute.
6. Add the chicken broth, coconut cream, fish sauce, lemongrass, salt, chicken pieces. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Add the carrots, potatoes and capsicums and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the chicken is tender, around 15 minutes.

Remove the lemongrass, transfer to a bowl and serve with Jasmine rice. 

Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight

"How do I lose (or gain) weight?" is, of course, the most asked question when I mention I'm a nutritionist. So why did it take me so long to write about it? Well, there are so many theories, diets, and products out there that it took a while to wade through them to separate fact from fiction. I also am loathe to write something that will make you think there's a one-size-fits-all approach to maintaining a healthy weight. We are, after all, biochemically unique. Not only that, a "healthy" weight for an individual is also different at different stages and ages of their lives.

However, I feel that I've been talking and giving so much advice about it that I realised that there are three key common factors that I can talk about that affect our weight:

• the quality and quantity of the food we eat
• how well our digestive system works
• metabolism!

What's the first thing you'd do if you want to lose or gain weight? Adjust the quantity of food you eat, of course! That's a fact. But what's even more important is what you eat and the quality of what you eat. Low carb, low Glycemic Index...yes! Whole, local, seasonal and sustainably sourced produce are high in essential nutrients required for the body to function at optimal levels.

Moving on to digestion, keeping our digestive system healthy not only means that we get the most nutrients out of the food we eat, but also we eliminate toxic waste more efficiently. Do you know that your body will produce more fat cells to store if you don't get rid of them? It's the body's strategy to keep toxins out of circulation, and away from the body's major organs.

I'm very particular about making sure that the food looks good from paddock - or for us city folks, from market - to plate. Selecting the freshest produce, cutting all the ingredients evenly and at the right size, making sure that the table is set beautifully to complement whatever dishes are going to be served. Shared meals eaten leisurely are encouraged, very much like the French :) 

What does that have to do with digestion? A lot! Digestion is a mechanical and biochemical process that involves all of our senses. Your mouth waters when you see something that looks delicious, right? In Ayurveda, one of the world's oldest medical systems, digestion is the cornerstone of good health and this news article offers a really simple explanation.

Finally, we get to metabolism, which is the process of converting food into energy, and is a very complex biochemical process that is unique to each individual. Our bodies are able to regulate this process according to its needs when it is functioning optimally. However, today's stressful lifestyle and poor dietary habits mean that this is not usually the case. To cut to the chase, I've found 27 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism but if your metabolism is slow due to a thyroid problem, I recommend seeing a holistic health practitioner and have it treated as early as possible. 

So what if you are unwell? A holistic, drug-free approach to heal and recover from respiratory infections

Traveling through four cities across three continents, and spending time in huge enclosed spaces such as malls, airports, and the hospital meant my immune system had to work non-stop these past couple of weeks. Add to that the drastic change in temperatures and humidity, the emotional ups and downs, lack of sleep...and you have the perfect formula for those viruses and bacteria to get an upper hand.

Good thing it's only laryngitis....could be a lot worse! The tropics has a good number of bugs that can do way more harm than render you speechless. Pun intended :)

While I'm not averse to using synthetic drugs, especially pain relievers, most drugs for viral and bacterial infections just target the symptoms and not the underlying cause of the infection. Holistic treatments, on the other hand, help your body's immune system fight and get rid of the virus and/or bacteria causing the infection. So you get better quickly and reduce the risk of further complications, like pneumonia and asthma.

Most of the treatments here came from my grandmother, a healer and herbalist, complemented with insights I've gained from research and my nutrition studies over the years. The treatments don't stop when the virus has been defeated; we need to continue them in order to heal the damage caused by the virus and restore our body to its optimum health.

When you're fighting an infection, you need to sleep and rest. Don't go to work or school, don't even go out of the house. Gentle yoga or tai chi is permitted, but no strenuous exercises. Remember that your cells are engaged in battle - you need to let your mind AND body focus all their energies on that.

I found this short video on how cells fight viruses but if you're really, really interested to learn how our immune system works, here's an awesome lecture for you :)  Immune System 101: An Introduction to Clinical Immunology.

We all know we need plenty of fluids to fight infections, but what exactly should we should drink?

Water (of course!) - is required to for biochemical reactions at the cellular level, but also keeps the respiratory track moist so you can breathe easier. Water also carries toxins out of your body.

Herbal teas and infusions - one of the most effective herbs for treating respiratory infections is thyme. It helps with both bacterial and viral infections. Best taken as a herbal infusion made by steeping fresh thyme leaves in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.

Licorice strengthens our immune system by increasing interferon levels, a key chemical needed for fighting viruses. It soothes and heals sore throats, coughs, colds, headaches. It has an expectorant action, which makes it good for irritating coughs and asthma.

Licorice also improves resistance to physical and emotional stress due to its action on the adrenal glands.  Licorice tea is widely available and can be combined with other herbs due to it's harmonizing action.

If you have a bacterial type of infection, peppermint's your herb. It also contains traces of vitamin B, potassium, calcium and other antioxidants to help boost your immune systems. Other herbs that can help are oregano, olive leaf extract, ginger and echinacea.

Chicken or beef bone broths. Packed with minerals in their most bioavailable form, bone broths also seals your gut to allow you to absorb nutrients easily. The benefits for fighting and healing respiratory infections are just too many to mention so please read Dr. Mercola's article, which includes a recipe for making chicken broth.

A friend of mine, who was a vegetarian for over a decade, narrated that beef bone broth saved his life when he contacted a viral infection in Spain.

What about vitamin supplements? There are two important vitamins linked to treating infections: Vitamin C and D.

Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant. It's antiviral and antibacterial properties have been well documented . When fighting infections, it is recommended to take it at therapeutic levels, which means at bowel tolerance. Drop it back down to moderate levels (500 to 1,500 mg) to promote healing once the infection is gone.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the treatment of respiratory illnesses. While this Vitamin has been mainly considered essential to bone growth, studies have shown that it's also required to activate and bind to our T-cells to get it started fighting foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria.

Aromatherapy is another effective treatment for respiratory infections. The power of aromatherapy not just lies with the essential oils, but combined with a healing massage relieves pain, stimulates the limbic system and helps the body get rid of toxins.

My grandma kept a stock of essential oils at hand for practically any ailment :) Whenever we have colds or sore throats, she would put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in boiling water for steam inhalation. She'd also add a few drops to a carrier oil - coconut for us tropical folks - and rubbed them on our chests, back, forehead, soles of our feet.

Now we have more essential oils available: lavender, clary sage, tea trea, and lemon. I found a good list and how to use them here.

Finally, a note on what foods to avoid when you're fighting an infection. Top of the list is sugar and I'm not just talking about sugar but high glycemic index (GI) foods that easily converts to sugar in your blood stream.  Sugar inhibits your white blood cells from doing their work.

Milk and dairy products may increase mucous production and make phlegm thicker and harder to expel. I found a really informative article about milk by Dr. Mercola about milk and upper respiratory congestion.

Other foods to be avoided are processed foods loaded with artificial additives and preservatives that can make your symptoms worse or lead to complications such as asthma.

I'd like to write about immune-boosting and healing foods, but that would be too long so will put that in the queue of blog topics :) For the next blog, I want to answer the most common question asked when I tell people I'm a qualified nutrition adviser: How do I lose weight and keep it off? The answer might just surprise you. Namaste!

Staying Well Over the Cold Months

As I write this, the delicious smell of free range chicken poached in  vegetables and herbs is filling the house. There's just something about it that makes me feel warm and...well, nurtured.

Perhaps that's because it reminds me of the chicken tinola my grandma used to make all the time. It's essentially poached chicken with garlic, onion, lemongrass,  and ginger. Then either young, green papaya or choko, and moringa or chili leaves. We don't put fish sauce in our regional version,  only salt and whole peppercorns.  So comforting on cold rainy days!

Beside me, in my favourite porcelain mug, is organic chamomile tea. So I'm definitely in the best state to write about this topic: how to stay well over the cold winter months.

Though I always stress that each one of us is biochemically unique hence, there is no one size fits all prescription for wellbeing,  there are a few guidelines that can help all of us.

Bedtime and quality of sleep. I struggle with this every single day, with the many last minute chores I think of doing before bed. However, being asleep before 11 pm is one of the most important things to stay well. Not just physically but emotionally. In Traditional Chinese Medicine,  the yin qi, or passive, receptive energy, is at its strongest at 11 p. m. so this is the ideal time to detoxify, regenerate, and replenish yang qi. Yang qi is the active, creative energy you need for physical and mental activities. It is also believed that the liver, which is the organ linked to emotions, starts regenerating at 11 p.m.

Whole, seasonal food. The explanation for this is really simple. By eating whole foods that are in season, you get the maximum nutrients out of it. Vitamins and minerals that act as catalysts to biochemical reactions are lost when you process food, not to mention fibers and enzymes that are so important to digestion.

Calm the mind, body and spirit. Take mini-breaks throughout the day and just before bedtime. Go for a walk, find a quiet place to meditate, or just pause and take a few minutes to do breathing exercises. Not only will this help avoid stress, but it also restores yang qi and, when combined with a few restorative yoga poses, removes energy blockages. In modern science, this translates to blood and lymph being able to circulate throughout the body, delivering essential nutrients to your cells and removing chemical wastes efficiently.

Regular, preventive, holistic treatments.  I'm greatly indebted to Jane Huang and her husband Henry for their genuine concern for my wellbeing these past seven years. I remember one year I had what my GP jokingly referred to as the 100-day cough. Jane was away on holiday in China, and Henry was so worried that I wasn't getting better. He used different forms of treatment: acupuncture,  cupping,  moxibustion, and herbs to get me well again. Even now, whenever Jane detects that I'm fighting a bug or just low on qi, she treats me for twice the allocated time without charging extra for it.

So go find yourself a holistic health practitioner that you feel most at ease and open with. A naturopath,  herbalist, osteopath, Reiki practitioner, homeopath...and see them regularly,  preferably every two weeks when you are symptom-free. Remember that the illness is well under way before you start showing symptoms. By that time, the damage to your body would be pretty substantial and it will take longer to heal and recover your wellbeing.

Finally,  stay warm at all times, get as much sun as you can, and learn to let go...of negative thoughts and emotions,  of material things that weigh you down and take time away from more meaningful pursuits.  Namaste!

Additional reading:

1. Ten Sleep Tips Inspired by Chinese Medicine
2. Six Breathing Exercises to Relax
3. 100 Days of Real Food
4. What is Holistic Healing?

Eggplant, chickpeas and spinach with harissa

A vegetarian dish that's still a work in progress...

Ingredients:
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 preserved lemon, washed and sliced thinly
2 tsp harissa
2 x 400g can chickpeas
2 eggplants, cut into large chunks
150g baby spinach leaves
125 ml water or vegetable stock

Method
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry eggplants in batches until lightly browned.
Add garlic and stir fry for 1 minute then add harissa. Cook for a few minutes, stirring until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and stir until soft. Add the preserved lemons and chickpeas, then cook for two minutes, stirring. Add the eggplant with water or stock. Cover and bring to a boil then lower the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add baby spinach, stir to mix and cook until just wilted. Serve with couscous

Serves 4.